AUGUSTA, ME: The men's and women's basketball teams have earned the 2019 YSCC Community Service Award for the leadership and service within the community. This is the first year that the Yankee Small College Conference has awaded this distinguished honor.
For the past two years, the University of Maine at Augusta men’s and women’s basketball teams have been working with an organization that matches up children who are facing life-threatening illnesses with athletic teams. Team Impact is a non-profit that harnesses the power of teamwork by matching these courageous kids with college athletic teams. Emma and Carter Blanche, a brother and sister with cystic fibrosis, have been a part of the Moose family since August 2017.
This past year, the Blanche kids enjoyed social outing with the team including laser tag and bowling, as well as having been a staple at our home basketball games; sitting on the bench, heading the tunnel during starting line ups, and practicing their basketball skills on the sideline. Some of the student-athletes participated in a walk for cystic fibrosis awareness this past weekend in support of Emma and Carter. More than just attending events with our teams, the players have created an incredible bond with these kids. The student-athletes have welcomed them into the Moose family and have made them feel extremely included. They have involved them in every aspect of their experience as student-athletes. One student-athlete wrote a term paper focused on cystic fibrosis as an opportunity to learn more about what Emma and Carter face each day.
Our intention in taking part in this program was to give back and help create an incredible experience for these young children, we could not have begun to understand the impact they would have on our student-athletes, athletic staff, and coaches. Noah Thompson, men’s basketball team captain said this on his experience: “Team Impact has been an eye-opening experience that I’ll never forget. Being able to see smiles on Emma and Carter’s faces made everything worth it for me.”
Learn more about the Team IMPACT program at goteamimpact.org.